Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is looking forward to working with Zlatan Ibrahimovic again next season after declaring the striker's contract extension will be a formality.
Ibrahimovic, 35, arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in July on a one-year deal with an option for a further year, which Mourinho in November indicated United would look to take up.
After Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored once and made two goals in United's 3-1 Boxing Day win over Sunderland, Mourinho said the clause had not been activated yet, but would be.
"It is activated in his brain and it is activated also in my decisions and in the owners' and the board's. So it is no problem," said Mourinho.
Ibrahimovic's goal against Sunderland means that he has scored 50 times across all competitions for club and country during 2016, the year he retired from international football with Sweden.
"I am not really surprised because he is a very intelligent guy and a very proud man," Mourinho said.
"He decided to come to Manchester United and to the Premier League, to a club with the level of expectation of Manchester United, in the most difficult league in the world for a striker.
"When he decides to come here, it is because he knows he can do it.
"When we contacted him and he said, yes, he will come, I was sure that he was not coming here to leave the Premier League without proving himself.
"To leave the Premier League having failed at Manchester United? No way.
"When such a guy decided to come, I was completely clear that he would be ready and he is ready for more next season. He will be here again."
Ibrahimovic set up Daley Blind to put United ahead in the 39th minute and then ran through to score from Paul Pogba's pass before setting up Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a spectacular 'scorpion kick' volley.
United secured a fourth successive Premier League win, and extended their unbeaten record in all competitions to 11 matches, in the absence of captain Wayne Rooney.
The United captain was withdrawn from the squad after suffering a thigh muscle injury in training.
- Relegation tussle -
Mourinho said the England captain was a doubt for United's home match against Middlesbrough on New Year's Eve.
Asked if Rooney would be fit, Mourinho said: "I don't think so. I hope so. I would like him to be.
"He is always a player I would like to be available. Let's see. It is not a big deal, but in four days, I have my doubts."
Sunderland manager David Moyes suffered defeat on his first return to Old Trafford since United sacked him in April 2014.
Moyes, whose team remain in the Premier League relegation zone, said he enjoyed his return, despite the publicity that surrounded him in the days before the fixture.
"When you are in football, what comes around goes around," said the Scot, whose team replied through Fabio Borini's long-range effort.
"I knew that some day I would come up against the Manchester United players or work with some of them.
"I think that's what happens when you're in football. I enjoyed coming back. I have always enjoyed coming here. It's a hard place to come, a hard place to get a result, and that showed today."
From chasing titles at Old Trafford, Moyes now finds himself locked in a relegation tussle with Sunderland, who lie two points from safety.
"We are going to have to try to galvanise from within," said the former Preston North End, Everton and Real Sociedad manager.
"It is not a situation I am necessarily used to, but some of the players are used to it here.
"I hope together we can find a way of being good enough and strong enough in the games that really matter.
"Did this game matter? It definitely mattered. But there will be games maybe more so that will be important for us."
AFP
Tue Dec 27 2016
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) lifts the ball over Sunderland's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (R) to score their second goal during the English Premier League football match at Old Trafford in Manchester, on December 26, 2016. AFP PHOTO
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Kebajikan, pendidikan anak-anak wira dipastikan tidak terabai - Menteri
Kementerian Pendidikan lakukan susur tindak bagi memastikan kebajikan 10 orang anak mangsa nahas helikopter dijaga sehingga tamat persekolahan kelak.
Bintang TikTok Iraq, Umm Fahad ditembak mati di luar rumah
Pihak berkuasa Iraq umum penubuhan "jawatankuasa siasatan khas- untuk menjejaki pembunuh yang tidak dikenali itu.
PM Anwar tiba di Riyadh untuk hadiri Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia
Perdana Menteri Anwar tiba di Riyadh dalam rangka lawatan tiga hari bagi menghadiri Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia (WEF).
Jemputan peribadi ke Mesyuarat Khas WEF bukti keakraban Putera Mahkota Mohammed, PM
Ini merupakan lawatan keempat Anwar ke Arab Saudi sejak dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri.
Kerajaan Pusat peruntuk RM1.59 bilion untuk pembangunan fizikal di Terengganu
Peruntukan tersebut melibatkan 99 projek baharu dan 296 projek sambungan di bawah Rolling Plan 4 (RP4) Rancangan Malaysia ke-12 (RMK12).
Pahang rancang wujudkan zon perindustrian di setiap daerah
Kerajaan Pahang rancang wujudkan zon perindustrian di kesemua 11 daerah di negeri ini bagi menggalakkan kemasukan lebih banyak pelaburan asing khususnya dari China.
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Dua gol Haaland beri permulaan cemerlang buat Manchester City
Anak buah Pep Guardiola kembali beraksi kompetitif dengan hebat di Turf Moor.
Salah tidak perlukan motivasi untuk jadi legenda - Klopp
Mohamed Salah tidak perlukan motivasi tambahan untuk memecahkan rekod dan mencapai status legenda, kata pengurus Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp.
Kane bukti peranan penting taktikal Mourinho
Jose Mourinho yakin Tottenham dan Son Heung-min tidak akan menghadapi masalah dalam rundingan kontrak baru sambil memuji sentuhan Harry Kane dalam kemenangan 2-0 ke atas West Brom, malam tadi.
EPL: Southampton selesa ketepikan Aston Villa 4-3
Kedua-dua gol yang dijaringkan pada babak pertama itu, memberi kelebihan kepada Southampton untuk terus ke tangga keempat liga.
EPL: Everton dan Liverpool seri tanpa jaringan
Aksi sulung Everton dan Liverpool selepas penggantungan EPL pula berakhir dengan seri tanpa jaringan.
Astro peroleh hak siaran Liga Perdana Inggeris hingga 2021/2022
Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad memperoleh hak eksklusif untuk menyiarkan semua perlawanan liga tersebut untuk tiga musim akan datang.
Mourinho berang aksi longlai jentera serangan United
United meraih deretan peluang untuk mendapatkan kemenangan tetapi disia-siakan, sehingga pengurus pasukan, Jose Mourinho, berang dengan persembahan yang dipamerkan oleh beberapa pemain.
John Terry tinggalkan Aston Villa
John Terry akan meninggalkan Aston Villa selepas hanya beraksi satu musim selepas mereka gagal melayakkan diri ke Liga Perdana Inggeris dari Liga Kejuaraan.
Guardiola extends Man City contract to 2021
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola signed a contract extension with the Premier League champions on Thursday that will keep him in the job until 2021.
Salah sets record, Liverpool qualify for Champions League
Mohamed Salah becomes the first player to score 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season.